Method of detachably attaching an insert to a remote control base and the resulting remot control

ABSTRACT

A remote control includes a base and an insert that is attached in a detachable manner to the base. The base includes a remote control circuit, a button coupled to operate the remote control circuit and a fastener capable of holding the insert. The insert includes a printed publication (such as a card, a sheet of paper or a booklet) containing at least one leaf having human-understandable content (such as text and/or graphics). To assemble the remote control, a user attaches the insert to the fastener, so that the human-understandable content is laid over the button. Thereafter, when the user operates the button (e.g. by touching the leaf), the base transmits a remote control signal that causes a host device to visually display information related to the human-understandable content at the touched location. A base in the form of a three ring binder gives the user an intuitive feel of simply touching human-understandable content on a leaf in the binder to view a display of information related to the content. In addition to the human-understandable content, the insert can carry a predetermined pattern that can be sensed by a sensor during mounting of the insert on the base. The base transmits, in the remote control signal, a number determined from the predetermined pattern thereby to indicate to the host device the insert currently in the base.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/991,411, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/013,329, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,459, which is in turn acontinuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/824,103 that is in turn a continuation-in-part application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 08/818,558, all of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

[0002] This application is also related to the following copending,commonly owned U.S. Patents and applications and are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety:

[0003] Ser. No. 08/715,809;

[0004] Ser. No. 08/497,177;

[0005] Ser. No. 08/550,976, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,905, a divisional ofU.S. Pat. No. 5,624,265;

[0006] Ser. No. 08/692,994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,112, that is acontinuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,549;

[0007] Ser. No. 08/630,015;

[0008] Ser. Nos. 08/916,780 and 08/915,072;

[0009] Ser. No. 08/908,833 filed Aug. 7, 1997 that is a file wrappercontinuation of Ser. No. 08/298,648, and

[0010] Ser. No. 08/816,616.

CROSS REFERENCE TO APPENDICES IN ATTACHED MICROFICHE

[0011] Appendices A-L which are a part of the present disclosure, areattached herewith in a microfiche consisting of a total of 18 sheetsthat contain a total of 1,138 frames. This microfiche is a duplicate ofthe microfiche filed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/013,329, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,327,459, upon which this application claims priority.

[0012] Appendix A contains computer programs and related data forprogramming a microcontroller e.g. COP 820CJ available from NationalSemiconductor Corporation, 1090 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086,used in a remote control as described below. On being programmed by thecomputer programs of Appendix A, the microcontroller wakes up inresponse to a predetermined event and causes a signal transmitter totransmit a remote control signal carrying an identifier code thatidentifies, at least partially, the information to be displayed asdescribed below. The computer programs of Appendix A can be compiled bythe in-circuit simulator “ice MASTER COP8 Module” also available fromNational Semiconductor Corporation.

[0013] Appendix B describes an infrared protocol called “TVIR” used inthe computer programs of Appendix A to encode the predetermined numberin the remote control signal, and used in the computer programs ofAppendix C to decode the number from the remote control signal.

[0014] Appendix C contains computer programs and related data forprogramming another microcontroller e.g. COP922C used in a signalreceiver to extract data from a remote control signal and to pass theextracted data to a host device. The computer programs of Appendix C canalso be compiled by the in-circuit simulator “ice MASTER COP8 Module”(described above).

[0015] Appendix D describes an architecture of the host device and theformat of data supplied by the signal receiver to the host device usingthe well-known RS-232 signal interface.

[0016] Appendices E-G contain computer programs and related data forprogramming a host device including e.g. the microprocessor PENTIUMavailable from INTEL Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif., and the operatingsystem WINDOWS 95 available from MICROSOFT Corporation, One MicrosoftWay, Redmond, Wash. 98052. The computer programs of Appendices E-G causethe host device to respond to the identifier code received by the signalreceiver by displaying information indicated by the identifier code. Thecomputer programs of Appendices E-G can be compiled by the followingprogramming tools available from MICROSOFT Corporation (at the aboveaddress) and well known to a person skilled in the art of programminghost devices. For the assembly language and C language computer programsin Appendices E-G: Assembler: MASM.EXE v. 5.01A (supplied with MicrosoftWindows 3.1 DDK) Compiler: CL.EXE v. 8.00C (MSVC 1.52c) Linker: LINK.EXEv. 5.60.339 (MSVC 1.52c) RC: RC.EXE v 3.11 (MSVC 1.52c) Implib:IMPLIB.EXE v. 1.50 (MSVC 1.52c) Make: MAKE.EXE v. 4.07

[0017] For the VEX computer program in Appendix E (Pages 94-107):Compiler: CL.EXE v. 8.00C (MSVC 1.52c) Linker: LINK.EXE v. 5.60.339(MSVC 1.52c) RC: RC.EXE v. 3.11 (MSVC 1.52c) Implib: IMPLIB.EXE v. 1.50(MSVC 1.52c) Make: NMAKE.EXE v. 1.40 (MSVC 1.52c)

[0018] Appendix H is a reference guide for a parameter file used by thecomputer program in Appendix I (described below).

[0019] Appendix I contains visual basic language computer program thatcauses a personal computer to receive the data from a remote controlsignal and display the selected information. The programs in Appendix Ican be compiled by:

[0020] Microsoft Visual Basic v. 3.0 (professional edition)

[0021] Appendix J contains subroutines called by the software inAppendix F.

[0022] Appendix K contains Java code that can be compiled by:

[0023] Microsoft Visual J++ v.1.1 (Professional Edition).

[0024] Appendix L contains Software used to translate an identificationcode received from a remote control into an Internet address used toretrieve and display the selected information.

[0025] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document containsmaterial which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdocument or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent andTrademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0026] This invention relates to an apparatus and method for the remotecontrol of the display of information by an interactive media, such as ahost device, e.g., a personal computer (PC) or a television (TV).

BACKGROUND

[0027] A conventional remote control for a television (TV) includes arectangular box, with buttons that are marked with symbols, such as thenumerals “1”, “2” . . . “0”. A user touches one or more such buttons toswitch the TV's display to a desired channel. For example, the userinstructs the TV to display channel 5 by pressing a button labeled “5”.However, the user performs several steps prior to the display: consultsa TV guide, selects a desired program, remembers a channel number forthe program, and enters the channel number on the remote control.Alternatively, the user presses a button labeled for example “CH± tosequentially display each TV channel, until the user finds a desirableTV program.

[0028] Universal remote controls allow a user to control the operationof a video cassette player (VCR) in addition to the TV, e.g. to controla movie's retrieval by the VCR and display by the TV. However, the useragain performs several steps prior to the display: reviews a list ofavailable movies (for example by consulting an index in a movie rentalstore), selects and rents a desired movie's video tape, brings home andinserts the video tape into the VCR, tunes the TV to a predeterminedchannel, e.g. channel 3, and then presses a button labeled “PLAY” on theremote control.

[0029] A settop box available from VideoGuide, Inc., 209 BurlingtonRoad, Bedford, Mass., 01730 (see the Web page at www.vgi.com on theInternet), displays on a user's TV a list of upcoming TV programs, andrequires the user to press a button labeled “TV” to select one of thelisted TV programs. See also the Web page at www.theGIST.com for anothersimilar product.

[0030] A mouse and a keyboard for remotely controlling informationdisplayed on a computer's monitor are also well known. The mouse andkeyboard are more difficult to use than a TV remote control, because theuser is required to be knowledgeable about computers. Specifically, theuser must know computer instructions or be aware of the need to press,e.g., a left button of the mouse while a cursor is positioned on anicon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0031] A remote control in accordance with this invention includes aremote control base (also called simply “base”), and an insert that isattached in a detachable manner to the remote control base. The baseincludes (1) a support structure, (2) a remote control circuit supportedby the support structure, and (3) a button also supported by the supportstructure and coupled to operate the remote control circuit. Onoperation of the button(s), the remote control circuit generates asignal that can control the operation of a host device, such as apersonal computer (PC) or a television.

[0032] The insert includes a printed publication having one or moreleaves that are printed with content such as text and graphics. A userassembles the remote control by physically attaching the insert to thebase so that a leaf of the printed publication is laid over the buttonin the base. Thereafter, when the user touches content (e.g. text orgraphics) located on the leaf (e.g. printed thereon or affixed by asticker), pressure from the touch transfers through the leaf to operatethe button and transmit a remote control signal (e.g. a “wirelesssignal” or a signal over a cable) to the host device.

[0033] The printed publication is attached to the base in a detachablemanner so that the user can replace the attached printed publicationwith another printed publication, thereby to reuse the base any numberof times. Detachable attachment of a printed publication to the remotecontrol base allows the attached printed publication to be free ofelectronic components, and therefore be manufactured by conventionalprinting processes. In a first embodiment, the insert includes, as theprinted publication, a single leaf, e.g. a card (such as a postcard, aplaying card, or a business card). In this embodiment, the base has theform of a normal remote control (e.g. length being several times width).The base includes a fastener formed by two “U” shaped channels that eachface the other along the longitudinal side of the base. In thisembodiment, the user assembles the remote control by sliding twoopposite edges of a card within the two channels of the fastener untilthe card touches a portion (also called “stop member”) of the base.Therefore, at the end of assembly, text and/or graphics carried in acentral region of the card lie over a button that is located between thetwo channels.

[0034] Thereafter, when the user touches the text and/or graphics on thecard, pressure from the touch operates the underlying button, and inresponse the remote control circuit generates and transmits a signal tothe host device. The signal carries data (e.g. x and y coordinates)indicative of the touched location on the card. On receipt of thesignal, the host device visually displays information related to thetext and/or graphics at the touched location on the card. The touchedlocation's text and/or graphics is related to (e.g. is descriptive of,or is derived from) the to-be-displayed information.

[0035] For example, touching the content “CHINA AIRLINES” of a card(when mounted on the base) generates a remote control signal thatinstructs a host device to automatically display electronic contentaccessible in the form of a page (also called “Web page”) on the WorldWide Web part of Internet at the address www.china-airlines.com. Suchelectronic content can be held in a storage media that is coupled to thehost device by a server, for example, through a public or privatenetwork such as a telephone network, a satellite network, or a cablenetwork. Alternatively, the electronic content can be held in a storagemedia that is packaged with the insert, and that is inserted into thehost device by the user.

[0036] The information displayed by the host device, and the contentcarried by the insert have an association (hereinafter “remoteelectronic association”) that is implemented by transmission of thesignal generated by the remote control circuit. Moreover, there is avisual association between the insert's content and the underlyingbutton implemented in one embodiment by the fastener (e.g. theabove-described channels) that aligns the insert to the base.

[0037] In this embodiment, the alignment is sufficient to ensure that aninsert is positioned at approximately the same position on the base eachtime the remote control is assembled, so that content on the insert isappropriately aligned to one or more buttons in the base. For example,the base has a distance (also called “width”) between the two channelsthat is approximately equal to the width of an insert to be used in thebase. Repeatability in the positioning of an insert with respect to thebase ensures that approximately the same coordinates of a touchedlocation are sensed by the underlying button(s), irrespective of thenumber of times or the way in which the insert is attached to the base.

[0038] In this particular embodiment, the card carries a pattern (e.g.formed as a bar code or a series of punched holes), and the remotecontrol base includes an identity reader (e.g. formed by a series ofsensors, such as photodiodes or phototransistors) that reads thepattern. The remote control circuit transmits in the signal a numberdetermined by the identity reader from the pattern, thereby to uniquelyidentify to the host device the card currently attached to the base, sothat the base can be reused any number of times with such cards.

[0039] A “card reader” remote control as described above allows a userto simply use a card (e.g. torn from a printed publication, such as theTIME™ magazine) to pull up a display of information on a host device. Sosuch a remote control eliminates the need for a user to consult a guide(e.g. TV guide) and remember, e.g. a channel number or an Internetaddress as required in the prior art. Instead, the user simply toucheshuman-understandable content located on a card mounted on the base, andpressure from the touch operates a button coupled to a remote controlcircuit that in turn transmits a signal (either wirelessly or over acable) to control the display of related information.

[0040] In a second embodiment, the insert includes, as the printedpublication, a booklet having a number of leaves (also called “sheets”or “pages”), e.g. a catalog or a magazine. In such an embodiment, thebase includes a file folder having a front cover, a back cover and aspine connecting the two covers. The file folder includes, mounted onthe spine, a fastener capable of detachably holding the insert. Such afastener includes, e.g. three rings capable of holding a booklet havingthree corresponding holes. In this particular embodiment, each bookletinitially holds a storage media, e.g. an optical disc (such as a CD-ROM)that is encoded with the information to be displayed in response totouching a region of the booklet when mounted in the remote controlbase.

[0041] Instead of a booklet, in an alternative embodiment the three-ringfastener holds a single sheet of paper having the three correspondingholes. Therefore, a remote control having the three ring fastener can beused with printed publications having either: (a) single leaf or (b)multiple leaves.

[0042] In other embodiments, instead of a three-ring fastener, othertypes of fasteners are used, e.g. a female rail having a “C” shapedcross-section that can hold a single leaf. Such a single leaf cansupport a booklet, thereby allowing a remote control having the rail tobe used with multiple leaves in a printed publication. Moreover, in onevariant of the card reader remote control, the card supports a bookletthereby to make leaves in the booklet touch sensitive.

[0043] A remote control as described herein has several unexpectedadvantages. For example, as an insert is mounted removably on a remotecontrol base, the base can be reused any number” of times, therebyresulting in lower cost than if a remote control circuit is integratedinto the insert. Therefore, inserts can be manufactured by conventionalprinting processes. Furthermore, a remote control as described hereinallows the display of electronic content on a bulky device (such as a TVor a PC) located at a distance from the remote control, thereby allowinga user to simply touch a mounted card and view a display of informationrelated to content carried by the card.

[0044] Furthermore, the above-described file-folder remote control iscompatible with the standard three-hole format of normal catalogs.Therefore normal catalogs can be modified for use in a file-folderremote control by simply providing a mark on each touch-sensitive leafof the catalog, thereby to allow a user to identify to a host device theleaf that is currently laid open.

[0045] Also, the form of a file-folder remote control provides the userwith a level of comfort due to familiar appearance that is otherwiselacking in a remote control of the prior art. Specifically, a user canflip through the leaves of a printed publication in the normal manner,and when desired merely touch appropriate locations to pull up thedisplay of related information. Moreover, a user can easily accessinformation related to the printed content on two adjacent leaves thatare laid open, with a first leaf laid over a front cover and a secondleaf laid over a back cover.

[0046] Therefore, a printed publication when mounted in the file folderremote control can be laid open and touched in the normal manner of abook. Furthermore, printed content on both sides of a leaf can be usedto select information, e.g. by using a back cover for one side, simplyturning over the leaf and using the front cover for the other side. Sucha file folder remote control having a button in each of a front coverand a back cover eliminates the need to remove and re-insert a leaf asrequired by the card-reader remote control. Also, the file-folder remotecontrol does not have an identity reader, and is therefore cheaper thanthe card-reader remote control.

[0047] In a third embodiment, a remote control includes features of boththe above-described remote controls of the first and second embodiment.Specifically, in one implementation, the remote control includes a filefolder with a fastener in the form of a female rail having a “C” shapedcross section, with a barcode scanner mounted in a cavity of the rail.In this particular embodiment, the insert includes a leaf on which ismounted a booklet, with a portion (also called “flap”) of the leafforming a male rail. The mail rail carries a barcode to be read by thescanner during insertion of the male rail into the cavity of the femalerail.

[0048] A remote control base as described herein can include one or moreadditional input devices, e.g. (1) a pointing device (such as a touchpad, a mouse, a trackball, or a joystick) that controls the movement ofa cursor on a monitor of the host device, and/or (2) an alphanumericdevice (such as a keyboard) that allows a user to type in, for example,a search word related to the displayed information, thereby to pull upadditional information related to the specific content carried by theinsert.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049]FIG. 1 illustrates, in a conceptual view, a remote control of thisinvention for controlling the display of information (also called“electronic content”).

[0050]FIG. 2A illustrates, in a perspective view, one embodiment of aremote control wherein a card is being attached in a detachable mannerto a remote control base.

[0051]FIGS. 2B and 2C illustrate, in block diagrams, a system showingthe control of information displayed by a host device by a wirelessembodiment and a cable-based embodiment of a remote control of thisinvention.

[0052]FIG. 3A illustrates, in a plan view, one example of the card ofFIG. 2A having touch-sensitive areas for three articles and anadvertisement when mounted in the remote control base of FIG. 2A.

[0053]FIG. 3B illustrates, in a waveform, data generated by the remotecontrols of FIGS. 2B and 2C.

[0054]FIG. 3C illustrates the display of information by the host deviceof FIG. 2B in response to receipt of the signal of FIG. 3B.

[0055]FIG. 3D illustrates, in a cross-sectional view (in the direction3D-3D in FIG. 2B), one embodiment of the remote control.

[0056]FIG. 4A illustrates, in a perspective view, a remote control thatincludes a two dimensional array of discrete switches.

[0057]FIG. 4B illustrates, in a plan view, one example of the card ofFIG. 2A having touch-sensitive areas for three articles and anadvertisement when mounted in the remote control base of FIG. 4A.

[0058]FIGS. 4C and 4D illustrate, in perspective views, in a closedposition and an open position respectively, a remote control having akeyboard in accordance with the invention.

[0059]FIG. 5A illustrates, in a perspective view, a file-folder shapedremote control that includes a female rail at the spine, and an insertwith a flap for insertion into the rail.

[0060]FIG. 5B illustrates, in an elevation view in the direction 5B-5Bin FIG. 5A, a “C” shaped cross-section of the rail.

[0061]FIG. 5C illustrates, an elevation view in the direction 5C-5C inFIG. 5A, a male rail formed by folding over a portion of the flap.

[0062]FIGS. 5D and 5E illustrate, in perspective views, a file-foldershaped base in closed and open positions respectively.

[0063]FIGS. 5F and 5G illustrate, in perspective views, an insert in theform of a booklet in closed and open positions respectively.

[0064]FIG. 5H illustrates, in a perspective view, the booklet of FIGS.5F and 5G mounted in the base of FIGS. 5D and 5E to form a remotecontrol of the invention.

[0065]FIG. 5I illustrates, in a perspective view, an insert in the formof a single three-holed leaf that is mounted on the base of FIGS. 5D and5E to form another remote control of the invention.

[0066]FIGS. 5J and 5K illustrate, in plan views, touch-sensitive areasof one leaf of a booklet when the booklet is mounted in a base having atouch panel or an array of switches respectively.

[0067]FIGS. 5L and 5M illustrate, in exploded views, the base of FIG.5D.

[0068]FIG. 5N illustrates, in an enlarged plan view of the area 5N (FIG.5L) of the printed circuit board included in the base of FIG. 5D.

[0069]FIG. 5O illustrates, in an enlarged plan view of the area SN (FIG.5L), an alternative embodiment of the printed circuit board using aflexible tape.

[0070]FIG. 6A illustrates, in an exploded view, a touch panel used inthe remote control of FIG. 2A.

[0071]FIG. 6B illustrates, in an enlarged view, the arrangement of theconductive and dielectric traces of FIG. 6A with respect to each other.

[0072]FIG. 6C illustrates, in a cross-sectional view in direction 6C-6C(FIG. 6B), the conductive traces and dielectric traces of FIG. 6B.

[0073]FIG. 6D illustrates, in an enlarged view, the conductive traces ofFIG. 6A with a schematic circuit diagram overlaid over the conductivetraces.

[0074]FIG. 7 illustrates, in a schematic circuit diagram, a remotecontrol circuit included in the remote control of FIG. 2A.

[0075]FIG. 8 illustrates, in a timing diagram, the pattern 113 carriedby card 11 of FIG. 2A.

[0076]FIG. 9 illustrates, in a flow chart, various steps performed bythe microcontroller of FIG. 7.

[0077]FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate, in a plan view, conductive tracesand dielectric traces of an array of switches (used instead of touchpanel) in the remote control of FIG. 4A.

[0078]FIG. 11 illustrates, in a schematic circuit diagram, a remotecontrol circuit included in the remote control of FIG. 4A.

[0079]FIG. 12 illustrates, in a flow chart, various steps performed bythe microcontroller shown in FIG. 11.

[0080]FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate schematic circuit diagrams that aresimilar to the respective diagrams in FIGS. 7 and 11, except for havingtwo touch panels and not having a bar code scanner as required by base530 (FIG. 5E).

[0081] FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate, in flow charts, the steps performed byhost device 120 (FIG. 2C) to implement two-touch method for selectingthe information related to printed content on multiple leaves of printedpublication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] In the conceptual view of FIG. 1, a remote control 10 includes atleast two parts: a base 32 that includes a remote control circuit, andan insert 31 that includes a printed publication. Insert 31 isphysically attached (as illustrated by physical attachment 14A)indirectly by a fastener (not labeled; illustrated by mating part 22) tobase 32. Base 32 includes, in addition to the remote control circuit,one or more buttons 12 that operate the remote control circuit.

[0083] The printed publication of insert 31 has the appearance of anormal periodical, journal, or magazine, and has content, such as textand/or graphics printed on one or more leaves included in the printedpublication. For example, the printed publication can have theappearance (e.g. size and shape) of (1) a postcard, (2) a business card,(3) a playing card of a card game (such as poker), (4) a sheet of paperof dimensions 8 inches×10 inches (5) a greeting card, and (6) a booklethaving three holes (such as a catalog).

[0084] When a user touches predetermined areas in the printedpublication, pressure from the touch transfers through the leaves to abutton 12, thereby to operate the remote control circuit and causetransmission of a signal (illustrated by remote electronic association15) indicative of a location touched by the user. In response to thesignal, a host device 120 (FIG. 3A), such as a personal computer (PC) ora television (TV) optionally suspends displaying any informationcurrently displayed (e.g. saves state of all processes), and displaysinformation in the form of electronic content 13 (FIG. 1) associatedwith (as illustrated by association 16) printed content at the touchedlocation.

[0085] In one embodiment, electronic content 13 is “data specific”, andbutton 12 is a “data button”, as described briefly below and in detailin the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/550,976 incorporated byreference above. The host device can be similar or identical to the hostdevice described in detail in one or more of U.S. patent applicationsSer. Nos. 08/550,976, 08/816,616 and 08/915,072 also referenced above.

[0086] Button 12 can be any device capable of transmitting an electricalsignal in response to pressure. Examples of button 12 include a membraneswitch and a touch panel. Operation of button 12 (in one embodiment)indicates that specific electronic content including data (andoptionally including code) is to be retrieved from a network (eitherlive content from e.g. a video camera or prerecorded content from aremote storage media) or a local storage media in the host device, andis to be displayed to the user by the host device.

[0087] An example of a data button is a button that when pressed causesa display (by the host device) of a list of automobiles sold by theFORD™ Motor Company, and is triggered by the user pressing a printedpublication 11, e.g. on content “Ford” carried by a leaf of printedpublication 11. Therefore, in this example, electronic content 13 is“data specific” and includes a listing of automobiles sold by FORD™.Association 16 (also called “representative association”) is implementedby a publisher making available (e.g. over the Internet or on an opticaldisc) electronic content 13 for display by a host device in response tooperation of button 12.

[0088] Yet another example of a data button is a button that whenpressed causes the display of a Presidential address being delivered inreal time, when the user presses the printed content “PresidentialAddress” in a leaf of printed publication 11, if the Presidentialaddress is currently being delivered by the President. If the userpresses the printed content “Presidential Address” after the livebroadcast, i.e. after the President has finished addressing the nation,a recording of the most recent Presidential address is retrieved from aremote storage media and displayed to the user by the host device. Thedisplayed information, such as live content or prerecorded content canbe retrieved from any network such as a telephone network, a satellitenetwork or a cable network.

[0089] Visual association 14B (FIG. 1) is implemented when insert 31 isaligned to base 32, in one embodiment when the printed content in insert31 is located at a predetermined location relative to one or morebuttons 12 in base 32. The alignment between a leaf's printed contentand button 12 is sufficient to ensure that operation of button 12 causesthe host device to pull up and display electronic content 13 (FIG. 1)that is associated with the printed content (e.g. by association 16 asdescribed above).

[0090] Therefore, visual association 14B is substantially similar tovisual association 14B described in the U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/550,976 incorporated by reference above, except that the printed textand/or graphic content is not integrated into button 12 and 10 rather islocated on a leaf of printed publication 11 that is attached in adetachable manner to base 32.

[0091] In one embodiment, printed publication 11 consists of only oneleaf (for convenience such a leaf is also identified by referencenumeral 11). In this embodiment, leaf 11 is formed as a portion of amagazine, and the user tears out leaf 11 from the magazine, anddetachably attaches leaf 11 to remote control base 32. In anotherembodiment, such a leaf 11 is simply included loosely in a magazine,thereby eliminating the requirement for the user to tear out the leaf.Such a leaf 11 can be similar or identical to a “Reader Response Card”commonly included in a magazine (such as the “TIME” magazine) forrequesting information on products advertised in the magazine.Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, the user receives leaf 11 byitself in the mail, in a manner similar to a picture postcard, oralternatively in an envelope that contains a bill, such as the Visa™bill.

[0092] An insert 31 (FIG. 1) can include, in addition to leaf 11, aprinted publication that has one or more covers (e.g., front and backcovers) and leaves (in addition to the above-described leaf 11) enclosedbetween the covers. Such leaves also carry text and graphics of amagazine, (e.g. the TIME™ magazine) in the normal manner. In one such anembodiment, leaf 11 is attached as a flap to the printed publication,and leaf 11 is detachably attached to base 32 without separation fromthe printed publication.

[0093] In one implementation, leaf 11 carries a pattern containing anidentification code in the form of e.g. a bar code (such as the code“UPC”) that is printed on leaf 11 in a manner similar to a bar codelocated below the mailing address on a preprinted post card. Such apattern, when carried by leaf 11, is read by an identity reader 23 (e.g.a bar code scanner) that is optionally included in base 32.

[0094] In an alternative implementation, leaf 11 carries a pattern inthe form of a series of holes that are punched in leaf 11 in a mannersimilar to the holes of punched cards that were conventionally used toprogram a computer. However, in other implementations, a leaf 11 cancarry an identification code in another structure, e.g. encoded in amagnetic stripe or in an electronic chip, and identity reader 23includes an appropriate circuit capable of reading the identificationcode from such a structure. In yet another implementation, theidentification code is held in a memory in the remote control circuit,thereby eliminating the need for identity reader 23 and the need for apattern to be carried by leaf 11.

[0095] In one embodiment, a base 32 (FIG. 2A), includes two channels 34and 35 that face each other and a third channel 38 that is locatedtransverse to each of channels 34 and 35. Therefore, in this embodiment,the three channels 34, 35, and 38 form a “U” shaped fastener 22 (FIG.2A). Such a fastener 22 can be formed, for example as a single integralbody by injection molding of high density polyethylene (HDPE) plasticmaterial.

[0096] Base 32 also includes a button 12 (FIG. 1) in the form of, forexample, a touch panel 12 (FIG. 2A) that is located centrally betweenchannels 34 and 35. For convenience, the same reference numeral 12 isused in FIGS. 1 and 2A to identify the conceptual “button” and 15 thephysical “touch panel” in the respective drawings. Base 32 furtherincludes a remote control circuit (not shown in FIG. 2A) and a signaltransmitter, such as an infrared light emitting diode 37, that iscoupled to the remote control circuit, and that is used to transmit tothe host device a signal generated by the remote control circuit.

[0097] In this embodiment, channels 34, 35 and 38 each have a “U” shapedcross-section. Channels 34 and 35 are separated each from the other by adistance Wb (e.g. 3 inches) that is approximately equal to or slightlygreater than (e.g. by 5%) a width Wc of leaf 11. Moreover, each ofchannels 34 and 35 has a clearance (between the two parallel sides inthe “U” shaped channel) of Tb (e.g. 1 mm) that is approximately equal toor greater than (e.g. by 100%) the thickness of Tc of leaf 11.Therefore, leaf 11 easily slides between channels 34 and 35 in directionD. Such movement of leaf 11 is stopped by channel 38 (also called “stopmember”).

[0098] Each of channels 34 and 35 has a length Lb (e.g. 8 inches) thatis smaller than a length Lc of leaf 11, so that at the end of assemblingremote control 10, leaf 11 has a portion 11P of length Le (FIG. 2B) thatextends outside of base 32, wherein Le=Lc−Lb (e.g. 0.5 inch). Portion11P allows leaf 11 to be easily grasped by a user for removal of leaf 11from base 32, e.g. prior to insertion of another leaf 11 in order toreuse base 32.

[0099] During the assembly of remote control 10, an identity reader 23that is included in base 32 is triggered by the movement of leaf 11, forexample, by a switch (similar or identical to switch 202 described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/824,103 incorporated by referenceabove). When triggered, identity reader 23 reads a pattern 113 that isformed e.g. of black bars (or holes) as illustrated in chance cards208A-208R in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/916,780 incorporated byreference above. In this embodiment, pattern 113 is located at an edge11E of leaf 11, and is sensed by reader 23 during the sliding of edge11E in channel 35.

[0100] Identity reader 23 includes a light sensor array of the typedescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,974 (see, for example, FIGS. 6 and 7,and column 7, lines 3-13) that is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety. The light sensor array is located in channel 35 preferablybut not necessarily at base 32's open end (opposite to stop member 38)thereby to ensure that pattern 113 of any length can be read. Thesensing of pattern 113 during the detachable attachment of leaf 11 tobase 32 eliminates the need for a sliding mechanism otherwise requiredin the prior art to be swiped across pattern 113.

[0101] Remote control 10 thereafter transmits to host device 120 insignal 111 (FIG. 3B) an identification code (also called simply “code”)that is determined from pattern 113. For example, remote control 10(FIG. 2B) operates a light emitting diode 37, thereby to identify tohost device 120 the identity of leaf 11 currently mounted in remotecontrol 10. Signal 111 in this embodiment is an infrared signal inconformance with the format “TVIQ” of the protocol “TVIR” as describedin microfiche Appendix B. Instead of TVIR, other protocols can be used,e.g. a protocol described in the IrDA specification available from IrDAe.g. via Internet at www.irda.org.

[0102] Moreover, instead of an infrared signal 111, an electrical signalcan be transmitted through a cable 112 by a remote control 50 (FIG. 2C).In such an embodiment, cable 112 can be an RS-232 cable that isconnected to a serial port of host device 120. Instead of RS-232, theprotocol Universal Serial Bus (USB) can be used for signals on cable112.

[0103] Protocol USB is described in, e. g. “Universal Serial Bus toSimplify PC I/O” by Michael Slater in Microprocessor Report, Volume 9,Number 5, pages 1 and 6-9, that is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

[0104] In another embodiment, the protocol “TVIR” as described inmicrofiche Appendix B is modified as follows. The carrier frequency ischanged from 40 kilohertz to 38 kilohertz, by changing a constant“PulseNum” in microfiche Appendix A. Moreover, the number of bits in acheck sum is changed from two bits to four bits, by changing theconstant “PARITY” also in microfiche Appendix A.

[0105] Depending on the implementation, host device 120 can acknowledgeto the user the receipt of an identification code that is transmittede.g. during or immediately after insertion of leaf 11 into base 32 (FIG.2A) by displaying, for example, a message (hereinafter “preludemessage”) 133C_1 (FIG. 2B) that contains the text “PLEASE TOUCH ANAREA.” Host device 120 can also display other information, such as acommercial (in addition to prelude message 133C_1) as described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 08/715,809 referenced above.

[0106] After assembly of remote control 10, when the user touches leaf11, e.g. touches the content of an article, e.g. photograph P1 (FIG.3A), pressure from the touch transfers through leaf 11 to touch panel12, (FIG. 2A), and remote control 10 (FIG. 2B) operates LED 37 again,this time to transmit another signal 111 (FIG. 3B) that indicates thecoordinates of the touched location. The coordinates identify an area{also called “touch sensitive area”) A1 of leaf 11 that is associatedwith electronic content 133C 2.

[0107] Host device 120 uses the identification code and the coordinates(e.g. xl, y1) of the touched location to look up a table to identify,retrieve (if necessary through the Internet) and display electroniccontent 133C_2. Instead of electronic content 133C_2, host device 120can display any of other electronic contents 133A-133D depending onwhich one of identity codes 1-N 10 is sensed from leaf 11 that isinserted in base 32.

[0108] In an alternative embodiment, remote control 10 does not transmittwo separate signals 111, one for the identification code and anotherfor the coordinates of the touched location. Instead, remote control 10transmits the identification code as well as the touched location'scoordinates in a single signal 111 (as described below).

[0109] In the example illustrated in FIG. 3A, other printed content inarticle 1, e.g. text T1 and text T2 also lie over area Al, and thereforetouching text T1 or text T2 also causes the same electronic content133C_2 to be displayed by host device 120. In this example, area A2 thatunderlies text T3 of article 1 is also associated with electroniccontent 133C 2. The association of areas A1 and A2 to electronic content133C_2 (FIG. 2B) is provided in a table that is associated with leaf 11and that is identified by an identification code encode in pattern 113(FIG. 2A).

[0110] Each of touch sensitive areas A1-A6 (FIG. 3A) is preferably madesmaller than the overlaid content by a distance d (FIG. 3A) around theboundary of the content, thereby to ensure that even if a printedcontent is misaligned by distance d (e.g. 2 mm), the appropriateelectronic content 13 (FIG. 1) is still displayed. Moreover, the marginm (e.g. 10 mm) between adjacent printed contents is larger than distanced, thereby to ensure that even when a printed content is misaligned bydistance d, the electronic content associated with an adjacent printedcontent is not inadvertently displayed.

[0111] Therefore, remote control 10 (FIG. 2B) provides a simple “touchand view” interface to the display of information by host device 120.For example, the user merely touches the car in area A6 (FIG. 3A) toview electronic content (also called “Web page”) at Internet addresswww.4adodge.com/neon/index.html, that is displayed visually by hostdevice 120 on monitor 122 (FIG. 3C).

[0112] In one embodiment, a publisher of a weekly magazine uses adifferent number in the identity code (also called “identificationcode”) for each week's leaf 11, thereby to identify e.g. the currentweek's electronic content 13 (FIG. 1) for use with the current week'sleaf 11. Moreover, the publisher makes a Web page available on a server131 (see FIG. 2B) that is accessible over the Internet. The publishermakes the Web page available on the publication date of a magazine thatincludes leaf 11, so that a user can use leaf 11 (FIG. 2A) to view thepublisher's Web page on the user's host device 120 (FIG. 2B).

[0113] In this embodiment, the user replaces a leaf 11 (FIG. 2A) inremote control 10 once a week, e.g. substitutes the leaf 11 torn from aTIME™ magazine published last week with another leaf 11 torn from theTIME™ magazine published in the current week, and views news clips andother information on currently advertised products identified in leafl's content (that is updated weekly by the TIME™ magazine publisher).

[0114] The use of different identification codes for each week's leaf 11allows the user to access a prior week's electronic content 13 (FIG. 1)by using a prior week's leaf 11. Moreover, such use of differentidentification codes requires a user to have the current week's leaf 11to access the current week's content 13, thereby requiring the user torenew subscription to the magazine.

[0115] In an alternative embodiment, a publisher manufactures a numberof storage media (such as optical 20 discs; not shown) containing theto-be-displayed information, one for each copy of the magazine (notshown). Thereafter, the publisher inserts each storage media in a holder(not shown) attached to a magazine that contains leaf 11. A user removesthe storage media from the holder and inserts the storage media into aperipheral device 124 (FIG. 2B) of host device 120 prior to operatingremote control 10. In response to the signal 111 from remote control 10,host device 120 retrieves to-be-displayed information from the insertedstorage media in peripheral device 124, and displays the retrievedinformation.

[0116] In one implementation, such a leaf 11 does not have thepredetermined pattern to provide an identification code to host device120. Instead, it is assumed that peripheral device 124 holds a storagemedia that was initially packaged with leaf 11, e.g. in the currentweek's magazine TIME™. The storage media (e.g. a CD-ROM) has printedcontent that identifies (e.g. by date) the leaf 11 to be used in remotecontrol 10. Therefore in this implementation, signal 111 does not carryan identification code to identify leaf 11. Host device 120automatically uses a table in a storage media currently in device 124 toretrieve and display information related to the location indicated bysignal 111.

[0117] In an alternative embodiment, base 32 does not have identityreader 23 (FIG. 2A). Instead, base 32 holds, in a nonvolatile memory(not shown in FIG. 2A) included in the remote control circuit, apredetermined identification code that indicates (either directly orindirectly) the location (e.g. an Internet address) of electroniccontent 13 (FIG. 1) to be displayed. The remote control circuit encodesthe predetermined identification code in signal 111 (e.g. during thesliding of a card into the base), and host device 120 (FIG. 2B) accessesthe most current electronic content 13 (FIG. 1) at the indicatedlocation. In this embodiment, the user needs to use the currentmagazine's leaf 11 each week to ensure that the displayed information 13is related to the specific content carried by leaf 11.

[0118] As noted above, the to-be-displayed information can be livecontent made available through a network, such as a satellite network, acable network, or a telephone network by a publisher (e.g. publisher ofTIME magazine). In such a case, the publisher prints specific content onleaf 11, e.g. a title of a concert to be performed, and a user viewslive content by simply attaching leaf 11 to the base and thereaftertouching the title on leaf 11 e.g. during the live broadcast of theconcert.

[0119] In one particular implementation, base 32 (FIG. 3D) includes anumber of integrated circuit die 39A . . . 39I . . . 39R (where A≦I≦R,and R is the number of such dies) that are mounted on a side 12H oftouch panel 12. Touch panel 12 also supports LED 37 and identity reader23 (that can be, for example, a bar code scanner of the type describedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/916,780 incorporated by referenceabove). Touch panel 12 is attached to a side of channel 34 by anadhesive 40. Base 32 also includes a plate 41 that is attached byadhesive 40 to side 12H of panel 12, between channels 34 and 35, therebyto protect dies 39A-39R.

[0120] In this implementation, base 32 (FIG. 2A) also includes apointing device, specifically a touch pad 42 that can be used to controlthe movement and location of a cursor 45 (FIG. 3C) on monitor 122,thereby to allow the user to navigate the display of information 13 inthe normal manner (e.g. as in the Web browser Internet Exploreravailable from Microsoft Corporation). Pad 42 can be, e.g. Versa Pad™available from Interlink Electronics, 546 Flynn Road, Camarillo, Calif.93012.

[0121] Such integration of a pointing device and a remote control into asingle device eliminates the need for, e.g. two separate housings, andtwo separate power supplies, and therefore provides cost savings overthe prior art. The integration also eliminates the need for a user tokeep track of and use two separate devices (e.g. a mouse and a remotecontrol) otherwise necessary in the prior art.

[0122] Numerous variations and modifications of remote control 10 willbe obvious to a person of skill in the art of remote controls in view ofthe disclosure. For example, instead of having a touch panel 12, inanother embodiment, button 12 (FIG. 1) includes a switch in a twodimensional array S1 (FIG. 4A) of discrete switches SAA-SUV that areused to determine a location on leaf 11 (FIG. 4B) by base 100 (FIG. 4A).

[0123] Therefore, when a user touches, for example, a photograph P2(FIG. 4B), an underlying switch SIJ (FIG. 4A) closes an electrical pathin the remote control circuit as described below in reference to FIG.11. Therefore, in this particular embodiment, leaf 11 has a number oftouch sensitive areas (shown dotted in FIG. 4B) BAA, . . . BIJ, . . .BUV, where A≦I≦U and A≦J≦V, U and V being the number of columns and rowsrespectively in two dimensional array S1.

[0124] When a user touches, for example, text T1 in touch sensitive areaBAA, an underlying discrete switch SAA (FIG. 4A) is closed, thereby tocause the transmission of an appropriate signal 111 (FIG. 3B)containing, e.g. predetermined cartesian coordinates of switch SAA. TheCartesian coordinates for each switch SIJ are stored in a table encodedin a memory 1103M (FIG. 11) included in microcontroller 1103.Alternatively, microcontroller 1103 can transmit a predeterminedidentifier for a closed switch SIJ, e.g. a row number I for row RI and acolumn number J for column CJ (FIG. 11). In another variant of theembodiment, instead of transmitting the row and column numbers,microcontroller 1103 transmits a predetermined switch code, e.g. anumber 1 for switch SAA, a number 2 for switch SAB, and a number IJ forswitch SIJ and host device 120 (FIG. 3A) uses number IJ in anappropriate table to identify an area BIJ (FIG. 4B) touched by the user.

[0125] In this embodiment, a publisher of leaf 11 ensures that theprinted content, e.g. text T1, photograph PI, text T2 and text T3 arealigned to and located over touch sensitive areas BAA, BBA, BCA, BDA andBAB (FIG. 2F). Various touch sensitive areas that are not clearlycovered by a single article, (e.g. touch sensitive area BBB is coveredonly partially by text T4) are unassociated with any electronic content13 (FIG. 1), and are inactive. Therefore, when a user touches touchsensitive area BBB, host device 120 (FIG. 3A) does not display onmonitor 122 any information related to the printed content of articles 1and 2. Host device 120 can optionally display an error messagerequesting the user to touch another touch sensitive area BIJ, e.g. themessage “PLEASE TOUCH ANOTHER AREA IN THE SELECTED ARTICLE”.

[0126] In some of the embodiments discussed above, remote control 10(FIG. 1) transmits, in wireless signal 111 (FIG. 3B) an identificationcode that identifies to host device 120, the information to be displayedon monitor 122. In one implementation, the identification code includesan Internet address in the form of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)code, and host device 120 uses the URL code directly (via browsersoftware such as NETSCAPE's Navigator) to retrieve electronic content 13(FIG. 1).

[0127] In an alternative implementation, the identification codeincludes a product code, such as the Universal Product Code (UPC)normally printed as a pattern on the cover of a magazine and used indetermining the price at a checkout stand of a store. In the alternativeimplementation, host device 120 uses the identification code indirectly,e.g. performs a table lookup to find the URL code or other address ofelectronic content 13. Such a table can be stored either locally on astorage media (e.g. hard disk) permanently installed within host device120 or on a removable storage media, such as an optical disk removablymounted in a storage media drive 124 of host device 120 (FIG. 2B), or ona remote storage media accessible from server 131 e.g. via Internet.

[0128] In one variant of the alternative implementation, an optical disc(such as CD-ROM 544 illustrated in FIG. 5G) is provided by the publisherof a periodical in a holder that is physically attached to theperiodical. The user removes the optical disc from the holder andinserts the optical disc into storage media drive 124 in host device120. On insertion of an optical disc or other such storage media, hostdevice 120 can automatically suspend the display of any currentdisplayed information and automatically start execution of softwareretrieved from the storage media as described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/497,177 incorporated by reference above. Thereafter, whenthe user assembles and operates remote control 10 (as described herein),host device 120 retrieves from the inserted storage media one or moretables required to identify the selected information and thereafterdisplays the selected information in response to wireless signal Ill, asdescribed in, for example, U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 08/269,492and 08/816,616 incorporated by reference above. In another variant ofthe alternative implementation, host device 120 uses a UPC code directlyto display on monitor 122 electronic content 13. Specifically, remotecontrol 10 transmits in wireless signal 111, as the identification code,a UPC code, e.g. the number 3224502192 that indicates the book “TheCruise Caper” by Marilyn L. Bollinger, available from Hasboro, Inc.,Pawtucket, R.I 02862. On receipt of the UPC code, host device 120 looksup on server 131 (FIG. 2B) the file 3224502192.HTML. Server 131 iscoupled to a storage media, e.g. one of disks 132A-132D on which arestored a number of files each having a UPC code as the file name in ahome directory of server 131. Each of the files (not shown in FIG. 2B)includes a HTML instruction to redirect the host device 120 to theaddress of the requested electronic content.

[0129] For example, if associated electronic content 13 for “The CruiseCaper” is available at the Internet address www.cruise.com/movie2.html,the file 3224502192.HTML in server 131's home directory contains thefollowing software instructions that redirect host device 120 to thepublisher's server:

[0130] <html><meta http-equiv=“refresh”content=“0;www.cruise.com/movie2.html”></html>

[0131] To a user, electronic content 13 (e.g. movie2.html) is displayedon monitor 122 after host device 120 looks up the file 3224502192.HTMLon server 131 and thereafter retrieves electronic content 13 from thepublisher's server at the redirected Internet address. In this example,the Web page in the file movie2.html presents a movie and/or displaysother information as determined by the publisher of “The Cruise Caper.”As is well known to the skilled artisan, the file movie2.html can beupdated periodically, e.g. once a week to display a different movie,thereby to attract a user, such as a five year old child, into using theremote control at least once a week.

[0132] In another embodiment, host device 120 retrieves electroniccontent 13 from a video camera 134 (FIG. 2B), such as model no. VLH450Uby Sharp Corporation, available from Fry's Electronics, Campbell Calif.In one example, host device 120 displays an on-going sports event, suchas the Super Bowl, for example if the user touches printed contentdescribing a to-be-played Super Bowl game in a sheet describing the gameand enclosed e.g. in Sports Illustrated magazine.

[0133] In another example, leaf 11 (FIG. 2B) is a business card of areal estate agent, and touching an area of the business card causes hostdevice 120 to automatically determine and dial a telephone number of theidentified real estate agent, and thereafter to allow the user toconverse with the real estate agent, e.g. via a voicelink establishedthrough a telephone instrument. As an option, host device 120 uses avideo camera 127 (if included as a part of host device 120) to establisha video link with the identified real estate agent thereby to allow adisplay of homes of interest to the user.

[0134] In an alternative embodiment, host device 120 retrieveselectronic content 13 (FIG. 1) from a local storage media, e.g. theabove-described optical disc through storage media drive 124.Specifically, host device 120 compares an identification code retrievedfrom wireless signal 111 with another identification code retrieved fromthe optical disc to ensure that electronic content 13 associated withthe touched printed content is available on the optical disc. On findinga match, host device 120 displays electronic content 13 that isretrieved from the optical disc. If host device 120 cannot find anidentification code from wireless signal 111 in the optical disc, hostdevice 120 displays an error message requesting the user to insert theappropriate disc.

[0135] In yet another embodiment, host device 120 retrieves electroniccontent 13 from a hard disk 125 (FIG. 2B) in a manner similar to thatdescribed above for the optical disk. Specifically, host device 120compares an identification code retrieved from wireless signal 111 withanother identification code retrieved from hard disk 125, to ensure thatelectronic content 13 is available on hard disk 125. On finding a match,host device 120 displays electronic content 13 that is retrieved fromhard disk 125. Electronic content 13 can be stored on hard disk 125, forexample by use of software (commonly called “push” software) thatretrieves electronic content 13 through Internet periodically and storesthe electronic content on hard disk 125. Push software such as POINTCASTis available from, for example, Point.cast Inc., 10101 North De AnzaBlvd., Cupertino, Calif. 95014.

[0136] In still another embodiment, host device 120 does not compare twoidentification codes as described above. Instead, it is assumed that adrive 124 contains an appropriate storage media (e.g. a CD-ROM that wasinitially supported by leaf 11) and host device 120 displays information(e.g. the first file) from that storage medic!. (e.g. in response to thetouching of a first region of leaf 11).

[0137] Remote control base 32 can include a light emitting diode(abbreviated as “LED”; not shown in FIG. 1) that is operated tomomentarily emit, for example, green light, through a window in one ofchannels 34 and 35, thereby to indicate that the remote control 10 isproperly assembled and available for use. If identity reader 23encounters an error during the sensing of bar code pattern 113, remotecontrol base 32 does not activate the light emitting diode, thereby toindicate to a user the need to remove and reinsert leaf 11. In analternative embodiment, identity reader 23 activates the LED only onencountering an error during the reading of bar code pattern 113. Insuch an embodiment, the LED is operated to emit red light, thereby toindicate to the user the need to remove and reinsert leaf 11.

[0138] In another embodiment, a base 400 has an upper portion 401 (FIG.4C) similar to above-described base 32, and a lower portion 402 thatincludes a keyboard 403. To access keyboard 403, the user flips open thetwo portions 401 and 402, e.g. by moving portion 401 in the directionC1, away from portion 402. Such opening of base 400 operates a switch405 that in turn activates keyboard 403. In this embodiment, the usercan fold portion 401 over (to go under portion 402) in the direction C2to obtain a compact structure that has only keyboard 403 exposed (leaf11 being hidden between portions 401 and 402).

[0139] Thereafter, the user uses keyboard 403 in the normal manner tonavigate the display of information 13 by host device 120. Theintegration of a keyboard 403 into base 400 further enhances theabove-described advantages of integrating a pointing device and a remotecontrol. Instead of pad 40, a joystick as described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/631,015 can be included in a remote control asdescribed herein.

[0140] In still another embodiment, a remote control 500 (FIG. 5A)includes a base 510 in the form of a file folder, and an insert 520 inthe form of a booklet having a number of leaves (e.g. 10 leaves). Base510 includes a front cover 511, a back cover 512 and a spine 513 (FIG.5B) that connects the two covers 511 and 512. Each of front cover 511and back cover 512 includes a button, such as a touch panel (asdescribed above in reference to base 32 in FIG. 2A) or a switch in anarray of discrete switches included in the cover (as described above inreference to base 100 in FIG. 4A).

[0141] Base 510 also includes, mounted on spine 513, a fastener in theform of rail 514 that has a cross-section in the shape of the letter“C”. Rail 514 has a longitudinal cavity 515 formed behind longitudinaledges 514A and 514B that each face the other. In this particularembodiment, base 510 includes an identity reader 516 that is mounted ona ceiling of cavity 515 i.e. inside rail 514.

[0142] Insert 520 (FIG. 5A) includes a leaf 521 to which is attached abooklet 522 having a number of leaves 522A-522N, wherein A≦I≦N (FIG.5C). In one particular implementation, each of leaves 522A-522N and leaf521 are formed of conventional paper (e.g. 120 gsm) and are attachedtogether in the normal manner, e.g. by staples or an adhesive. Thereforeinsert 520 of this embodiment is manufactured by a conventional printingprocess. Leaf 521 includes a first portion 521P that is located betweenlongitudinal edges 514A and 514B (FIG. 5B) when insert 520 is mounted onbase 510 by sliding a second portion 521B (FIG. 5C) into cavity 515(FIG. 5B) in the direction D (FIG. 5A). During the mounting, a bar codepattern 5211 printed on second portion 521B is read by identity reader516, thereby to determine a number that identifies insert 520. Inanother implementation, insert 520 does not have bar code pattern 5211,and channel 514 does not have reader 516. Instead, base 510 eitheroperates under the assumption that the appropriate storage mediacontaining the to-be-displayed information is packaged with insert 520or that base 510 includes a memory pre-programmed with an identity codeas described below.

[0143] In this particular embodiment, first portion 521P (FIG. 5C) has athickness TP (e.g. 0.05 mm) that is smaller than the distance Tc (e.g. 1mm) between edges 514A and 514B, while second portion 521B has athickness Tf (e.g. 1.5 mm) that is larger than the distance Tc.Therefore, second portion 521B prevents the unintentional separation ofleaf 521 from rail 514, e.g. when a user pulls on booklet 522.Therefore, second portion 521B acts as mating part 22 and rail 514 actsas mating part 21 (FIG. 1). Portion 521B (FIG. 5A) is formed in oneembodiment by folding a part 521T and stapling or gluing part 521T to anunderlying part 521L of portion form a male rail in portion 521B.

[0144] In a variant of the above-described embodiment, leaf 521 supportsa booklet in a transverse manner so that the booklet's spine isperpendicular to channel 514 when assembled. Such a variant eliminatesthe need for front cover 511 to include a button because a touch panelin back cover 512 is sufficient to make all leaves of the booklet touchsensitive.

[0145] In an alternative embodiment, insert 520 consists essentially ofleaf 521, and is devoid of booklet 522. Such a leaf 521 can have thesize of, for example, a postcard. Also, in another embodiment, such aleaf is devoid of the above-described male rail and instead, a planaredge of the leaf is mounted in channel 514, and can be yanked out bypulling in lateral direction L. The planar edge has a thicknessapproximately equal to the distance Te (FIG. 5B) and fits within rail514, thereby to act as mating part 22 (FIG. 1).

[0146] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5C, each of leaves522A-522N has a corresponding mark (e.g. regions having predeterminedcontent) 523A-523N in an area AR that is reserved for such marks. Eachof marks 523A-523N on the respective leaves 522A-522N is provided at alocation different from the location of every other mark 523-5˜:3N, sothat touching a mark (also called “page mark”) 523I immediatelyidentifies two adjacent leaves 521A and 521I (FIG. 5C) that arecurrently laid open in remote control 500. In one variant of thisembodiment, each of page marks 523A-523N (FIG. 5A), such as mark 523I(FIG. 5J) has identical printed content (e.g. “TOUCH AND VIEW®”). Inother variants, instead of text, a graphic icon indicates the locationto be touched to identify the leaves that are currently laid open.

[0147] When a user touches one of marks 523A-523N, pressure from theuser's touch is transferred through the leaf, e.g. leaf 522I and throughother intervening leaves, e.g. leaf 522N (FIG. 5C) and leaf 521 to backcover 512 (FIG. 5A). Back cover 512 includes a touch panel that respondsto the pressure, to generate data indicating the location of thepressure (e.g. x,y coordinates) that are transmitted by an infrared LED517 (FIG. 5A) thereby to cause the transmission of data via a remotecontrol signal 111 (FIG. 3B).

[0148] In one embodiment, the user must touch a page mark 523I first,and thereafter touch one of areas (also called “regions”) A1-A7 toindicate the associated electronic content 13 (FIG. 1) to be displayed.In an alternate embodiment, the user first touches one of areas A1-A7,and thereafter touches page mark 523I to indicate the electronic content13 to be displayed. In the alternative embodiment, a user can changetheir mind about the information to be displayed, e.g. touch an area Aland then touch an area A3 and then followed by touching of page mark5231 to cause the display of information related to area A3.

[0149] Therefore, the alternative embodiment is more intuitive becausethe user uses page mark 5231 as a confirmation to indicate the mostrecent deselected information is to be displayed. Moreover, therequirement of touching printed content of a leaf 522I multiple times,e.g. two times in this embodiment, eliminates the possibility of aninformation displayed being started accidentally by someone justtouching leaf 5221 inadvertently.

[0150] Each of touch sensitive areas A1-A7 (FIG. 5G) is preferably madesmaller than the overlaid printed content by a distance d (FIG. 5J)around the boundary of the printed content, thereby to ensure that evenif the printed content is misaligned by distance d, the appropriateelectronic content 13 (FIG. 1) is displayed. Moreover, the margin e.g.between adjacent printed contents is larger than distance d thereby toensure that even when printed content is misaligned by distance d, theelectronic content associated with an adjacent printed content: is notinadvertently displayed.

[0151] Instead of a touch panel, cover 512 can include an array ofswitches SAA-SUV (see FIG. 4A) and in such an embodiment, each page mark523I lies over an underlying switch SIJ that is operated when the usertouches page mark 523I (see FIG. 5K).

[0152] In still another embodiment, a remote control base 530 has theform of a file folder, and includes a front cover 531, a back cover 532and a spine 533 (FIG. 5D) that connects covers 531 and 532. Each ofcovers 531 and 532 has an external surface that is planar thereby togive the appearance of a normal file folder. Base 530 also includes afastener 534 having three rings 534A-534C, and therefore base 530 hasthe appearance of a normal 3-ring binder.

[0153] In one particular implementation, fastener 534 is a conventionalthree-ring binder mechanism (e.g. formed of steel), and rings 534A-534Care movable between closed and open positions, so that paper havingcorresponding holes can be retained on rings 534A-534C in the normalmanner. One example of fastener 534 is described in U.S. Pat. No.4,295,747 that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.Other types of file folders as described in, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos.4,552,478 and 4,214,839 can be used in other implementations of base530.

[0154] A booklet 540 (FIG. 5F) having three holes 541A-541C at locationscorresponding to the locations of rings 534A-534C is mounted in base 530thereby to form remote control 550 (FIG. 5H). Therefore, in thisparticular embodiment, rings 534A-534C and holes 541A-541C function asmating parts 22 and 21 respectively (FIG. 1). Booklet 540 includesleaves 542A-542N, and each leaf 542I has a corresponding mark 543I usedto identify adjacent leaves; 542I-1 and 542I, as described below.

[0155] A single page mark: 543I (FIG. 5H) is sufficient if leaves 5411-1and 542I are held together in sequence (as in a booklet), because frontcover 531 identifies a touched location on the back side of leaf 542I-1,and back cover 532 identifies a touched location on the front side ofleaf 542I. However, if leaves 542I-1 and 542I are not held in sequence,i.e. leaves 542Ak-542N (FIG. 5F) are loose leaves that can be arrangedin any order, then a page mark is required on each of the two sides of aleaf, to identify which of the two sides is currently laid open forinspection by the user.

[0156] In this particular embodiment, booklet 540 does not have a barcode or any other type of pre-determined pattern to indicate an identityto base 530. Moreover, base 530 does not have an identity reader (suchas identity reader 516 described above in reference to FIG. 5B).Instead, booklet 540 has, supported by a leaf (e.g. last leaf 542N), astorage media, such as CD-ROM 544.

[0157] In one implementation, CD-ROM 544 is supported within a pouch 545attached to leaf 542N. Pouch 545 is formed in one particular embodimentby film of acetate that is glued to leaf 542N on three sides 545A-545C,and fourth side 545D is left unglued to allow removal of CD-ROM 544. Inthis implementation, CD-ROM 544 has printed content (e.g. text) thatuniquely identifies to the user the identity of booklet 540 to be usedwith CD-ROM 544. For example, each of CD-ROM 544 and booklet 540 mayhave the same title, such as “FRED, THE FIRE ENGINE”, and the usercoordinates the simultaneous use of CD-ROM 544 and booklet 540.

[0158] To use remote control 550 (FIG. 5H), the user must first mountCD-ROM 544 in a peripheral of host device 120 (FIG. 2B) and cause hostdevice 120 to execute the software stored in CD-ROM 544. Duringexecution of software, host device 120 interprets the signalstransmitted by an infrared LED 537 included in base 530 (FIG. 5E). Asnoted above, such an LED 537 is operated to transmit a signal indicatingthe location of a region of booklet 540 touched by the user.

[0159] In an alternative embodiment, a booklet does not have a storagemedia, and instead has a mark (similar to mark 543I described above)that is located at a different position in each booklet in a set ofbooklets that can be used in remote control base 530. There can be, forexample, twelve booklets, one for each month, with six positions for themarks at a top edge 540T and six additional positions at the bottom edge540B (FIG. 5F). Each of the twelve booklets has only one mark (alsocalled “booklet mark”) in any of the twelve positions, therebyidentifying a month in which the booklet was published.

[0160] In such an embodiment, remote control base 530 includes a memory(e.g. memory 1103M in FIG. 11) that is pre-programmed with an identitycode. Such an identity code is transmitted to host device 120 along withthe position of a booklet mark, thereby to identify the to-be-displayedinformation that is related to content printed in the booklet currentlymounted in the remote control base. In one particular implementation,host device 120 translates the identity code into an Internet address atwhich the to-be-displayed information is available. Therefore, a usermust first touch a booklet mark at top edge 540 or at bottom edge 540Bto identify the currently mounted booklet. Thereafter the user uses thebooklet in the above-described manner, e.g. touches one of page marks543A-543N and an area e.g. area A1 (FIG. 5J) to pull up informationrelated to article 1.

[0161] In one variant of card reader remote control 1D (FIG. 2A), Card11 supports a booklet (not shown), thereby to make leaves in the booklettouch sensitive. In one implementation, such a booklet is mounted withthe booklet's spine located next to channel 34, and therefore thebooklet's leaves are touch sensitive only on one side (which is exposedwhen the leaf lies over button 12). In another implementation, such abooklet is mounted with the booklet's spine located perpendicular tochannel 34, midway along the length Lb (FIG. 2A) so that leaves aretouch sensitive on both sides of the spine.

[0162] Moreover, instead of a booklet 540, a single leaf 560 (FIG. 51)having the appropriate three holes 561A-561C can be mounted in base 530to form remote control 550. The two file-folder remote controls 500 and550 are simple and easy to use because a booklet in the remote controlscan be opened in the normal manner of a book, e.g. by moving front cover511 away from a back cover 512. Thereafter, the user can read in thenormal manner, and when necessary touch an area AI (FIG. 5J) followed bytouching page mark 523I to cause the display of information related toarticle I. Moreover, the user can flip one or more leaves 522I-522J backand forth in the normal manner of a book, thereby providing the userwith a level of comfort not otherwise possible in remote controls of theprior art.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 5L, base 530 includes a housing 209 formed of acentral section 209C, end pieces 209A and 209B and posts 209R-209S.Housing 209 is formed, for example as a single integral body byinjection molding of high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic material.Posts 209R and 209S are used to support, and if necessary to align thevarious parts in base 530. For example, posts 209R and 209S pass throughholes 210R and 210S in printed circuit board (PCB) 210 included in base530. PCB 210 in turn supports a remote control circuit including aninfrared LED 537 (FIG. 5M). Batteries 108A-108M are located in volumeencoded between PCB 210 and housing 209 as illustrated by batterycompartment 107 (FIG. 5M).

[0164] In one variant of the embodiment, PCB 210 has conductive traces401, 402 that are formed of, for example, copper directly on PCB 210 asillustrated in FIG. 5N. In another variant of the embodiment, conductivetraces 401 and 402 are formed on flexible tape 403 (e.g. by printingcarbon ink on MYLAR), and tape 403 is attached (e.g. by an adhesive) tothe PCB 210 as illustrated in FIG. 50. The variant illustrated in FIG.5N is simple to design but expensive to build, while the variantillustrated in FIG. 50 does not have exposed traces but requiresadditional parts and additional labor to assemble.

[0165] In one variant of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5D, each offront cover 531 and back cover 532 includes a touch panel, e.g. touchpanels 211 and 212 (FIG. 5L) that are sandwiched between two protectivesheets, e.g. sheets 211U and 211L and 212U and 212L respectively. In analternative variant, each of front cover 531 and back cover 532 includesan array of discrete switches, e.g. arrays S1 and S2 (FIG. 14) formed insubstrates 211 and 212 (for convenience, the same reference numerals 211and 212 are used to indicate touch panels (FIG. 6A) and substratescarrying discrete switch arrays S1 and S2 (FIG. 14).

[0166] Sheets 211L and 212L (FIG. 5L) are both attached at the inneredges 211I and 212I respectively to a flexible element, such as a film213 or a sheet of paper. Film 213 is formed of flexible material, e.g.low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic material and has a thickness of,for example, ⅛ inch. Use of a film 213 that is separate and distinctfrom sheets 211L and 212L allows sheets 211L and 212L to have athickness independent of the thickness of film 213. Therefore, sheets211L and 212L can have a thickness of, for example, {fraction (1/8)}thinch, or a thickness of ¼th inch, depending on the application.Moreover, sheets 211L and 212L can have a thickness different from eachother e.g. sheets 212L can have a thickness twice the thickness of sheet211L depending on the application.

[0167] Sheets 211L and 212L can be formed of any material, e.g. of HDPEplastic material, a chip board, or card stock paper if covers 531 and532 are rigid. Alternatively, if covers 531 and 532 are flexible, sheets211L and 212L can be formed of LDPE plastic material, or paper of thesame thickness as the paper used to form leaves of: the normal magazine.Sheets 211U and 212U are formed sufficiently thin to allow pressure fromtouching a page of insert 540 (FIG. 5F) to pass through to theunderlying touch panel 211 or 212.

[0168] In this embodiment, posts 209R and 209S pass through therespective holes 213R and 2138 (FIG. 5M) thereby to support film 213 andthe attached protective sheets 211L, 211U, 212L and 212U. Posts 109R and209S also pass through respective holes 211R, 211S in touch panel 211and holes 21:˜R and 212S in touch panel 212. Finally, posts 209R and209S also pass through the respective holes 534R and 534S in fastener534. Holes 534R, 534S, 211R, 211S and 212R, 212S are formed withsufficient accuracy so that each of sheets 211 and 212 is sufficientlyaligned with respect to fastener 534, e.g. within the alignment distanced (FIG. 2E).

[0169] In one particular embodiment, a touch panel 12 (FIG. 6A) includestwo substrates 601 and 602 formed of, for example, five mils thick MYLARsheet having an area 8½ by 11 inches. As noted above, one or moreintegrated circuit dies 39A-39R can be mounted on substrate 602 thatforms side 12H of touch panel 12 (FIG. 3D).

[0170] Touch panel 12 (FIG. 6A) also includes a number of conductivetraces 603A-603N (where N is the number of conductive traces) and anequal number of dielectric traces 604A-604N supported on substrate 601.Specifically, dielectric traces 604A-604N are formed on conductivetraces 603A.-603N that are in turn formed on substrate 601.

[0171] Conductive traces 603A-603N are formed parallel to each other andtransverse (e.g. perpendicular) to another set of parallel conductivetraces 606A-606P (where P is the number of such conductive traces)formed on substrate 602. Touch panel 12 further includes a set ofdielectric traces 605A-605P that are formed on the respective conductivetraces 606A-606P. When substrates 601 and 602 are assembled to formtouch panel 211, dielectric traces 604A-604N contact dielectric traces605A-605P thereby to keep each of conductive traces 603A-603N fromcontacting each of conductive traces 606A-606P.

[0172] Dielectric traces 604A-604N and 605A-605P are formed narrowerthan the respective conductive traces 603A-603N and 606A-606P. Thedifference in widths between a conductive trace 603I and a dielectrictrace 604I (FIG. 6A) allows a conductive trace 603I to contact one ofconductive traces 606A-606P depending on the location of an area 607Itouched by a user.

[0173] Specifically, when a user touches area 607I (shown as a dottedcircle in FIG. 6B), a portion of another conductive trace 603I touches aportion of conductive trace 606I, e.g. in the region 608 due to flexingof substrate 601 under pressure exerted by the touch. Such a contactbetween two transverse conductive traces 603I and 606I closes a switchin a remote control circuit 700 (FIG. 7) and results in the transmissionof a wireless signal 111 (FIG. 3B) as described below in reference toFIG. 7.

[0174] In one example, a conductive trace 603I (FIG. 6B) has a width W5of, for example, 145 mils and is made of, for example, carbon inkavailable as part number 423SS from Atcheson Colloids Company, 1600Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 611747, Port Huron, Mich. 48061. Dielectrictrace 604I has a width W6 of, for example, 25 mils and is formed ˜f, forexample, dielectric ink available as part numb′=r 45288 also fromAtcheson Colloids Company. Two adjacent conductive traces, e.g. traces603A and 603B (FIG. 6A) are separated from each other by a distance W7(FIG. 6A) of, for example, 20 mils.

[0175] In one particular embodiment, substrates 601 and 602 are formedas two halves of a single integral substrate (not shown) that is foldedalong a center line (also not shown). When so folded, a dielectric trace605I (FIG. 6B) supported by substrate 602 contacts another dielectrictrace 604I supported on substrate 601 thereby to keep a conductive trace603I separated from conductive trace 606I by a distance 2T (FIG. 6C),where T (i.e. half of 2T) is the thickness of each of dielectric traces604I and 605I. In one particular example, thickness T is 1 mil.

[0176] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6A, each of conductivetraces 603A-603N is connected at one end to another conductive trace(also called “resistive backbone trace”) 610 that is formed transverseto traces 603A-603N. Therefore traces 603A-603N and trace 610 togetherform a structure (also called “comb structure”) that has the appearanceof a comb (commonly used for grooming hair). Trace 610 has a resistancethat depends on various parameters of the process and materials used toform trace 610, and the voltage drop across trace 610 depends on thestate of batteries 108A-108M (illustrated as battery B1 in FIG. 7) atthe time touch panel 211 is used. The resistance of trace 610 (FIG. 6D)is modeled by resistors 621A . . . 621N-1 located between paralleltraces 603A . . . 603N (FIG. 6D).

[0177] The resistance value of resistors 621A . . . 621N-1 is determinedin a calibration step by coupling a terminal 610G of trace 610 to asource of the ground reference voltage and another terminal 610P oftrace 610 to a source of the reference voltage VCC, while measuring thevoltage at terminals 610P and 610G. The voltage measurements atterminals 610P and 610G are converted by an analog-to-digital converter(see converter 701 in FIG. 7) into a count with a maximum countcorresponding to the voltage at terminal 610P and a minimum countcorresponding to the voltage at terminal 610G. A microcontroller 703(FIG. 7) included in circuit 700 scales the difference between themaximum count and the minimum count into the range 0-255, and thereaftertransmits to host device 120 (FIG. 2B) a scaled value in range 0-255 toindicate the location of touched area 6071 (FIG. 6D) along resistivebackbone trace 610. Microcontroller 703 performs a similar calibrationstep for a resistive backbone trace 630 that is connected to each one ofconductive traces 606A-606P.

[0178] During the calibration steps, the voltage measurements are takenat terminals 612C and 611C (FIG. 6D) that are connected to terminals610P and 610G respectively by traces 613C and 609C. Traces 613C and 609Chave lengths that are at least approximately equal to (in one embodimentexactly equal to) the respective lengths of traces 613P and 609G thatcouple terminals 610P and 610G to respective terminals 612P and 611G.Terminals 612P and 611G are coupled to sources of reference voltage VCCand the ground reference voltage respectively. Specifically, traces 613Cand 613P are kept at lengths approximately equal to each other (and thelengths of traces 609C and 609G are also kept approximately equal toeach other), so that a parasitic resistance in trace 613P is balanced bya similar parasitic resistance in trace 613C (and parasitic resistance'sin traces 609G and 609C also balance each other), thereby to ensure thatcalibration measurements are accurate.

[0179] The calibration steps ensure accuracy in measurement of thelocation of touch area 607I (FIG. 6D) and also ensure use of the entirerange 0-255. The calibration steps are performed each time touch panel211 is touched, prior to measuring voltages at nodes 630I and 610I fortouch measurements (to determine the location of area 607I). Repeatedperformance of calibration steps (at each touch) eliminates inaccuraciesin touch measurements, for example, due to a variation in environmentalparameters (such as temperature, humidity), due to battery discharge,and due to variations in resistance.

[0180] In one particular embodiment, a single analog to digitalconverter 701 (FIG. 7) and an analog multiplexer 702 perform all of theabove-described measurements under the control of microcontroller 703.During initialization, capacitor C3 (FIG. 7) is fully charged toreference voltage VCC, by analog multiplexer 702 coupling a firstterminal (not labeled) of capacitor C3 to a source of the groundreference voltage through resistor R3 (FIG. 7). A second terminal (alsonot labeled) of capacitor C3 is permanently connected to a source of thereference voltage VCC.

[0181] Each of the measurements (i.e. the calibration measurements andthe touch measurements) are performed in two steps. First, a node 610I(FIG. 6D) of trace 610 is coupled through area 607I, node 630I, aportion of resistive backbone trace 630 and a terminal 630A to capacitorC3 by an analog multiplexer 702 (not shown in FIG. 6D see FIG. 7)controlled by microcontroller 703. Terminal 630B of backbone trace 630is left floating so that the voltage at node 630I is identical to thevoltage V at node 610I at steady state. Microcontroller 703 maintainsthe link between capacitor C3 and node 610I until capacitor C3 isdischarged to the voltage V at node 610I (i.e. steady state). In oneparticular example, microcontroller 703 maintains the link for onehundred milliseconds. Once capacitor C3 reaches 13teady state, thevoltage at each of capacitor C3, terminal 630A, node 630I, terminal 630Band node 610I is the same, and no current flows through backbone trace630 and conductive traces 606I and 603I (FIG. 6D).

[0182] During the second step, the first terminal of capacitor C3 iscoupled by analog multiplexer 702 through a resistor R3 to a source ofthe ground reference voltage. When capacitor C3 is coupled to the groundreference voltage source, microcontroller 703 starts measuring a timeperiod (in terms the number of clock cycles, also called “counts”)required by capacitor C3 to charge to a threshold voltage of an inputpin 703A in microcontroller 703. The measured duration is indicative ofthe voltage at node 610I, e.g. the measured duration is proportional tothe difference between the voltage at node 610I and the thresholdvoltage. In a similar manner, microcontroller 703 determines anotherduration that is indicative of the voltage at node 630I. The twodurations indicate the Cartesian coordinates x, y of area 607I touchedby the user.

[0183] As noted above, prior to determining the x, y coordinates of area607I, microcontroller 703 calibrates touch panel 211 by (1) measuringthe voltages (in terms of duration) at terminals 612C and 611C (FIG. 7)which represent the two endpoints of resistive backbone trace 610 and(2) mapping the measurements to 255 and 0 respectively to determine ascaling factor (including, for example, a slope and an offset).Thereafter, microcontroller 703 uses the scaling factor to map themeasured x, y coordinates into the range 0-255. Next, microcontroller703 transmits the mapped x, y coordinates to host device 120 in wirelesssignal 111 (FIG. 3B), as described below in reference to FIG. 9.

[0184] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, analog multiplexer 702 couplescapacitor C3 to either the source of ground reference voltage, or to aterminal of touch panel 211 (through terminals X1-X7 of analogmultiplexer 702), in response to a control signal from microcontroller703 at one of terminals A-C of analog multiplexer 702.

[0185] Remote control circuit 700 also includes a bar code scanner 204having a terminal 204A coupled to a base of an npn transistor 704 (FIG.7). The collector of transistor 704 is connected to an input pin 703B ofmicrocontroller 703. Microcontroller 703 includes an internal pull upresistor (not shown) that is coupled to the source of reference voltageVCC at one end and to pin 703B at the other end. The emitter oftransistor 704 is connected to the source of ground reference voltage. Aresistor R6 is connected to terminal 204A of scanner 204 to form avoltage follower using a phototransistor (not labeled) in scanner 204.

[0186] When a black bar in bar code pattern 113 (FIG. 8) is being read,light from a light emitting diode (also called “LED”; not labeled) inscanner 204 (FIG. 7) fails to reach the phototransistor (again notlabeled) in an amount sufficient to raise the voltage at terminal 204Aabove the threshold voltage required by transistor 704. Thereforetransistor 704 remains off and the collector of transistor 704 remainsat the reference voltage VCC. When there is no black bar in bar codepattern 113 (FIG. 8), sufficient light from the LED in scanner 204 (FIG.7) reaches the phototransistor to cause the voltage at terminal 204A togo above the threshold voltage of transistor 704. In response to theincrease in voltage, transistor 704 turns on and couples input pin 703Bto the source of ground reference voltage. Microcontroller 703 monitorsthe voltage at input pin 703B, and thereby reads bar code pattern 113(FIG. 8).

[0187] In an example of circuit 700, analog multiplexer 702 (FIG. 7) ispart CD4051B and microcontroller 703 is part COP87L22CJ, both availablefrom NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION. In this example, scanner 204 ispart GP2527C available from SHARP CORPORATION.

[0188] Bar code pattern 113 (FIG. 8) includes a number of frame bars802A-802N and a number of data locations 803A-803P that are interspersedamong frame bars 802A-802N. Frame bars 802A-802N and data locations803A-803P are grouped into three fields, a header field 810, a datafield 811 and a checksum field 812. When a user inserts rail 112 intorail 104 (FIG. 2C), microcontroller 703 (FIG. 7) first reads headerfield 810 (FIG. 8).

[0189] Microcontroller 703 uses frame bars 802A and 802B in header field810 to establish a time period (hereinafter “time base”) that indicatesthe bit rate at which bar code pattern 113 (FIG. 8) is being read byscanner 204 (FIG. 7). Microcontroller 703 also uses header 810 todetermine that barcode pattern 113 is being read correctly by checkingfor a predetermined bit sequence. For example header field 810 (FIG. 8)includes at data locations 803A, 803B and 803C, bits 0, 0 and 1 thatform a predetermined bit sequence, where each 0 value is represented bythe absence of a black bar, and the 1 value is represented by thepresence of a black bar.

[0190] In an alternative embodiment, pattern 113 is not printed as abarcode 0:1 an insert, and instead is formed by holes, wherein each 0value is represented by the absence of the hole, and the 1 value isrepresented by the presence of a hole. Scanner 204 works in the samemanner irrespective of whether pattern 113 is formed by the printing ofa barcode or by the punching of holes.

[0191] If microcontroller 703 does not detect the predetermined bitsequence, microcontroller 703 (FIG. 7) operates LED 207 (in thisparticular embodiment a red colored LED) to indicate to the user that anerror occurred during the reading of bar code pattern 113 (FIG. 8).

[0192] Specifically, when leaf 11 is inserted into base 32,microcontroller 703 (FIG. 7) first detects a first frame bar (alsocalled “start bit”) 802A (FIG. 8) and starts measuring a duration tb(hereinafter “time base”) up to the next frame bar 802B. Time base tb(FIG. 8) when halved indicates the time at which the next data location803A occurs. Therefore, on detecting frame bar 802B, microcontroller 703waits for duration tb/2 and samples the data location 803A.

[0193] Thereafter, when microcontroller 703 detects the next bar, i.e.frame tar 802C, microcontroller 703 again measures the duration betweenframe bars 802B and 802C and uses the measured duration as the new timebase tb to sample the next data location 803B. Microcontroller 703proceeds in this manner to read the entire bar code pattern 113 (FIG. 8)using a currently determined time base to sample the next data location.Microcontroller 703 also uses the currently determined time base tosample the next frame bar, within a window around the expected location,e.g. a 50% variation in the expected location, i.e. a 25% variation ineach direction of the expected location.

[0194] Remote control circuit 700 (FIG. 7) also includes a pnptransistor 705 that has an emitter coupled to a source of a referencevoltage VCC (e.g., battery B1), a base coupled to a terminal 703C ofmicrocontroller 703 and a collector coupled to an anode of infrared LED25 105. The cathode of infrared LED 105 is coupled through a resistor R1to the source of ground reference voltage. To transmit a wireless signal111 (FIG. 3B), microcontroller 703 (FIG. 7) drives a signal on terminal703C low, thereby to turn on transistor 705, and transistor 705 conductscurrent drawn by infrared LED 105, thereby to cause the transmission ofa bit 1 in wireless signal 111. Similarly, microcontroller 703 drives asignal on terminal 703C high, thereby to turn off transistor 705 andcause transmission of a bit 0 in signal 111. Resistor R1 limits thecurrent through infrared LED 105. Capacitors C1 and C5 filter out noiseotherwise caused by the turning on and turning off of transistor 705 inthe power supplied to microcontroller 703 by battery B1.

[0195] In one particular embodiment, microcontroller 703 performs thesteps of method 900 (FIG. 9). Specifically, on being powered up,microcontroller 703 starts in step 901 and goes to step 902. In step902, microcontroller 703 (FIG. 7) initializes various pins, such asinput pins 703A, 703B, 703D, 703E and 703F and output pin 703C. In step902 (FIG. 9), microcontroller 703 also sets a flag (hereinafter “barcode valid flag”), to be false (e.g. to the value 0). Thereafter,microcontroller 703 goes to sleep in step 903.

[0196] On being woken up, for example due to a signal transition on aninput ;>in, such as pin 703D that is connected to terminal 612P of touchpanel 211 (FIG. 7), microcontroller 703 goe,3 to step 904 (FIG. 9). Instep 904, microcontroller 703 determines which of input pins 703A, 703B,703D, 703E and 703F (FIG. 7) was subjected to a signal transition.Thereafter, microcontroller 703 goes to step 905 (FIG. 9) to check ifbar code scanner 204 is to be activated.

[0197] For example, in step 905, microcontroller 703 checks if a signaltransition occurred at pin 703E (FIG. 7) that is connected via switch202 to the source of a ground reference voltage. If a signal transitionwas caused by closing of switch 202 (e.g. on insertion of ˜ail 112 intorail 104; see FIG. 2C), microcontroller 703 goes to step 906 (FIG. 9).In step 906, microcontroller 703 operates bar code scanner 204 (FIG. 7)to read a bar code pattern 113 in the manner described above inreference to FIG. 8.

[0198] Thereafter, microcontroller 703 goes to step 907 to check if barcode pattern 113 read by scanner 204 is valid. For example,microcontroller 703 checks to see if the bits 0, 0 and 1 of thepredetermined sequence were received in a header field 810 (describedabove). Moreover, microcontroller 703 calculates a check sum from bitsreceived in data field 811 (FIG. 8), and compares the calculated checksum with a check sum received in checksum field 812.

[0199] In one particular example, microcontroller 703 calculates thecheck sum by counting the number R of data bits having the value 1.Thereafter, microcontrollers 703 divides number R by 3 repeatedly, untilthe remainder becomes 0, and uses the last remainder LR before theremainder becomes 0, by adding 1, e.g. LR+1 as the check sum that isused to verify integrity of the bar cole pattern 113. If header field810 and checksum field 612 contain the expected bits, microcontroller703 goe3 to step 908 and stores a number derived from bar code pattern113 in a memory 703M as an identification code to be transmitted inwireless signal 111 (FIG. 3B). Thereafter, microcontroller 703 goes tostep 909 and sets bar code valid flag true (e.g. a value 1), and thengoes to sleep in step 903.

[0200] In step 907, if microcontroller 703 finds an error in eitherheader field 810 (FIG. 8) or in checksum field 812, microcontroller 703goes to step 910. In step 910, microcontroller 703 turns LED 207 (FIG.7) on and off alternately, (e.g. every 0.5 second) thereby to create avisible blinking light signal (e.g. of red light) that indicates to auser that an error Occurred. Microcontroller 703 turns LED 207 on andoff for a predetermined time period, e.g. 5 seconds. Thereafter,microcontroller 703 goes to step 911, sets the bar code valid flag to befalse and then goes to sleep in step 903.

[0201] In step 905, if a signal transition (e.g. an increase in voltage)did not occur at pin 703E (FIG. 7), microcontroller 703 goes to step 912to check if a signal transition occurred on one of pins 703D and 703F.If a signal transition occurred on one of pins 703D and 703F,microcontroller 703 goes to step 913 to perform the calibrationmeasurements and touch measurements as described above in reference toFIG. 6D. Thereafter, microcontroller 703 goes to step 914 and scalesdurations for the x, Y coordinates measured in step 913 into values inthe range 0-255 as described above, for transmission to host device 120(FIG. 2B).

[0202] Microcontroller 703 also sets a variable P to be, for example 0.Thereafter, microcontroller 703 goes to step 915 and encodes thevariables e.g. x, y, P, and the identification code (determined in step908 described above) to form a button code to be transmitted in wirelesssignal 111 (FIG. 3B). For example, in step 915, microcontroller 703simply arranges value of variables x, y, P and identification code intoa bit sequence to form the button code. Thereafter, microcontroller 703goes to step 916 and computes a check sum, is described above inreference to checksum field 812 (FIG. 8) of bar code pattern 113.

[0203] Next, microcontroller 703 goes to step 917 (FIG. 9) and checks tosee if the bar code valid flag is true. If the bar code: valid flag istrue, microcontroller 703 goes to step 918 and transmits in wirelesssignal 111 (FIG. 3B) a header (e.g. a predetermined bit pattern), thebutton code, and the check sum determined in steps 915 and 916. In step918, microcontroller 703 operates infrared LED 105 as described above.Thereafter, microcontroller 703 goes to sleep in step 903.

[0204] In step 917, if the bar code valid flag is false, microcontroller703 goes to step 910 described above. A bar code valid flag can be falsenot only because a bar code pattern had an error, but for a variety ofother reasons. For example, the bar code valid flag may be false ifswitch 202 is not activated (due to a mechanical failure) duringinsertion of rail 112 into rail 104 (FIG. 2C). Moreover, the bar codevalid flag is false when batteries 108-108M (FIG. 2D) are replacedbecause microcontroller 703 is reset, starts in step 901, andinitializes the bar code valid flag to be false in step 902. Therefore,if insert 31 (FIG. 1) was already coupled to base 32 prior to thereplacement of batteries 108A-108M (FIG. 2D), the user must detachinsert 31 from base 3:2 and reattach insert 31 to base 32 thereby tocause bar code pattern 113 (FIG. 8) to be read once again.

[0205] Finally, when a user removes insert 31 (FIG. 1) from insert 32,during the removal process a button 202 (FIG. 7) is once again closed,thereby triggering microcontroller 703 to read bar code pattern 113.However, during the removal process, bits in bar code pattern 113 areread in the reverse order, e.g. a last bit (also called “stop bit”) 802N(FIG. 8) is read first, thereby causing an error in step 907 whenchecksum field 812 includes, e.g., frame bar 802A, . thereby to causemicrocontroller 703 to go from step 907 (FIG. 9) to step 9:LO andindicate an error. As microcontroller 703 sets bar code valid flag to befalse in step 911 during the removal process, operation of touch panel211 (FIG. 7) after removal of insert 31 (FIG. 1) causes microcontroller703 to take the “no” branch from step 917 to step 910.

[0206] In an alternative embodiment, a remote control 50 (FIG. 5A) doesnot have remote control circuit 700 (FIG. 7) and rather has remotecontrol circuit 1100 (FIG. 11) that includes a number of discreteswitches.

[0207] The alternative embodiment is cheaper to manufacture, because ananalog multiplexer 702 (FIG. 7) required by the touch panel iseliminated by use of discrete switches. However, a touch panelembodiment can be made cheaper than the discrete switches embodiment ifanalog multiplexer 702 is built into a microcontroller, e.g. by use of acustom chip.

[0208] Discrete switches SAA-SUV are formed in one embodiment by anumber of conductive traces CA-CV (where A≦J≦V) formed on a left portion1001 of a substrate 1000, and conductive traces RA-RU (where A≦I≦U)formed on a right portion 1002 of substrate 1000. Substrate 1000 can beformed of, for example, MYLAR, and the conductive traces CA-CV and RA-RUcan be formed of, for example, carbon ink available from AtchesonColloids.

[0209] Each of conductive traces CA-CV and RA-RU is connected to anumber of switch portions EAA-EUV and FAA-FUV respectively, asillustrated in FIG. 10A. Switch portions EAA-EUV and FAA-FUV are formedso that when substrate 1000 is folded at center line CL, left portion1001 is overlaid on right portion 1002 and a switch portion EIJ on leftportion 1001 overlaps a switch portion FIJ on right portion 1002,thereby to form a switch SIJ (FIG. 11). Portions EAA-EUV and FAA-FUV areformed as a comb structure, with teeth in switch portion EIJ on beingformed transverse to the teeth of switch portion FIJ. Each combstructure is formed in a square area having a width of, e.g. 0.4 inch.

[0210] Also included in switches S1 are a number of dielectric tracesDA-DM (FIG. 10B) and GA-GL that are supported by portions 1001 and 1002of substrate 1000 e.g. formed over conductive traces CA-CV and RA-RU andswitch portions EAA-EUV and FAA-FUV (that are not shown for clarity inFIG. 10B). In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10B, also formed onright portion 1002 is a trace (called “border trace”) of dielectricmaterial having a width bw of, for example, 0.25 inch. Width of each ofconductive traces CA-CV and RA-RU, and switch portions EAA-EUV andFAA-FUV can be, for example, 25 mils. Moreover, dielectric traces formedof, for example, dielectric ink (described above) can also be, forexample, of width 25 mils. In this particular embodiment, the width ofconductive traces DA-DM, GA-GL is independent of the width of conductivetraces CA-CV and RU-RV.

[0211] Remote control circuit 1100 is similar or identical to theabove-described remote control circuit 700 (FIG. 7), except for thedifferences noted below. Specifically, remote control circuit 1100includes a switch array S2. In an array S2, each of switches SAA-SUV(where array S2 has U rows and V columns) is coupled to two pins ofmicrocontroller 1103. For example, switch SAA is coupled by a trace RAto pin 1105 and by a trace CA to pin 1109. Similarly, switch SUV iscoupled by to pin 1107 and to pin 1110. Such discrete switches areavailable from, e.g. Henri Membrane Switch Manufacturing Co., 5/F No.112 Wu-Kung Road, Wu-Ku Industrial Park, Wu-Ku Hsiang, Taipei, Taiwan,ROC, Phone: (886) 2 2990096. In one implementation, microcontroller 1103is part COP820CJ available from National Semiconductor Corporation.

[0212] In another embodiment, row traces RA-RU are formed on one sheetand column traces CA-CV are formed in another sheet (individual sheetsare not shown in FIG. 11) and the two sheets are kept separate from eachother by, e.g. small nipples, until pressure is applied e.g. bytouching. Such discrete switches are described in, e.g. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/269,492 incorporated by reference above.

[0213] Microcontroller 1103 determines that a switch, e.g. switch SIJ(where A≦I≦U and A≦J≦V) is closed by coupling one of the traces, e.g.column trace CJ to a source of the reference voltage VCC, and the otherof the traces, e.g. row trace RI to an internal pulldown resistor (notshown), and the resistor is in turn coupled to a source of the groundreference voltage.

[0214] Initially, when switch SIJ is open, row trace RI is at 0 voltsdue to being coupled to the ground reference voltage source.Microcontroller 1103 waits for a signal transition on trace RI e.g.monitors a terminal 1108 that is coupled the row trace. When switch SIJ(FIG. 14) is closed, switch SIJ connects column trace CJ to row traceRI, thereby to cause a signal transition on terminal 1108, e.g. fromlogic level 0 to logic level 1 (i.e. to the reference voltage VCC fromthe ground reference voltage). Note that circuitry 1400 in FIG. 14operates in a manner similar or identical to circuitry 1100 in FIG. 11,except that circuitry 1400 includes two touch panels S1 and S2.

[0215] In one embodiment, microcontroller 1103 performs the steps of amethod 1200 (FIG. 12) that is similar or identical to theabove-described method 900, except for the steps discussed below.Specifically, instead of steps 912-915, method 1200 includes steps1212-1215. In step 1212, microcontroller 1103 checks to see whetheranyone of the terminals connected to one of row traces RA-RU experienceda signal transition. If not, microcontroller 1103 takes the “NO” branchfrom step 1212.

[0216] However, if there was a signal transition, microcontroller 1103goes to step 1213. In step 1213, microcontroller 1103 determines theidentity of a closed switch SIJ, in the manner described above.Thereafter, microcontroller 1103 goes to step 1114 and converts theidentity ( ) f switch SIJ into, for example, the Cartesian coordinatesx, y mapped into the range 0-255. In another variant of the embodiment,microcontroller 1103 merely translates the identity of switch IJ intothe row I and column J.

[0217] Next, in step 1115, microcontroller 1103 encodes the identity ofswitch SIJ, e.g. the x, y coordinates and a variable P that is set to 0if a switch in array S1 is closed, and set to 1 if a switch in array S2is closed. Microcontroller 1103 encodes the variables x, y, P and anidentification code into a button code in a manner similar to thatdescribed above in reference to step 915. Thereafter, microcontroller1103 performs the above-described steps, e.g. step 916.

[0218] In one particular embodiment, host device 120 performs the method1500 (FIG. 15A) to implement the two-touch method described above inreference to marks 523A-523N and 543A-543N. Specifically, host device120 starts in step 1501, and goes to step 1502. In step 1502 host device120 checks if variable “mode” is set to indicate operation of, forexample, remote control 550 in the 1-touch mode (wherein all touches bythe user are processed immediately by host device 120). If so, hostdevice 120 goes to step 1503 and checks if the coordinates (x,y) of atouched location fall within a command area AR (FIG. 5J) or fall withina content area formed by one of areas A1-A7. If so, host device 120 goesto step 1504 to execute 1-touch subroutine 1510 (illustrated in FIG.15B). Thereafter, host device 120 goes to step 1509 and returns to thestart step 1501.

[0219] In step 1502, if the variable “mode” is not set to the 1-touchmode, host device 120 goes to step 1505 and checks if the coordinates(x,y) of the touched location fall within the command area AR (FIG. 5J).If so, host device 120 goes to step 1506 and executes a 2-touchsubroutine 1520 (described below in reference to FIG. 15C). In step1505, if the decision is no, host device 120 goes to step 1507 to checkif the coordinates (x,y) of the touched location fall within contentarea such as one of areas A1-A7. If so, host device 120 goes to step1508 and sets previously saved (x,y) coordinates (also called “last (x,y)” coordinates) to be the current (x,y) coordinates. Thereafter hostdevice 120 goes to step 1509 and returns to step 1501.

[0220] In 1-touch subroutine 1510, host device 120 checks if thecoordinates (x,y) indicate a command (also called “page select command”)to select a page (in step 1511), for example by looking up a table (asdescribed above). If so, host device 120 goes to step 1512 and switchesto a new page as indicated by the table. Next, host device 120 goes tostep 1513 and checks if the last (x,y) coordinates are valid for thecurrent page. If so, host device 120 goes to step 1514 and executes asubroutine indicated by the table for the last (x,y) coordinates, e.g.to display the selected information. Next, host device 120 goes to step1515 and sets to null coordinates, and exits the subroutine. If in step1513, the decision is no, host device 120 exits the subroutine. In step1511, if the decision is no, host device 120 goes to step 1516 andchanges the variable mode to be 1-touch, and thereafter exits thesubroutine.

[0221] In 2-touch subroutine 1520, host device 120 checks to see if thecoordinates (x,y) fall within the content area, e.g. one of areas A1-A7.If so, host device 120 goes to step 1522 and executes a subroutineindicated by the table for the (x,y) coordinates, e.g. displays a letterof the alphabet indicated by a key in a keyboard. Thereafter, hostdevice 120 exits the subroutine 1520.

[0222] In step 1521, if the answer is no, host device 120 goes to step1523 and checks if the (x,y) coordinates indicate (via the table) a pageselect command. If so, host device 120 goes to step 1525 and switches toa new page as indicated by the table. Next, host device 120 goes to step1526 and executes a subroutine indicated by the table for the last (x,y)coordinates. Next, host device 120 goes to step 1527 and sets to nullthe last (x,y) coordinate:3, and exits the subroutine. In step 1523, ifthe decision is no, host device 120 goes to step 1524 and changes thevariable mode to indicate the two-touch mode, and then exits thesubroutine.

[0223] Numerous variations and modifications will be obvious to a personof skill in the art of remote controls in view of the disclosure.

[0224] Therefore, in an alternative embodiment, the information to bedisplayed is not retrieved from a storage media. Instead, wirelesssignal 111 (aB) causes host device 140 to display a currently broadcastTV program on a channel identified by the touched location in the remotecontrol. Therefore, in the alternative embodiment, touching adescription of the TV program “HOME IMPROVEMENT” printed in a magazine“TV GUIDE™” mounted on a remote control base as described herein causeshost device 120 to automatically switch to a channel that currentlycarries the TV program “HOME IMPROVEMENT”. If no channel carries aselected TV program, host device 120 displays an appropriate errormessage, e.g. “PLEASE TUNE IN AT 7:30 P.M. FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT”.

[0225] Also, although leaf 11 is illustrated as having only one code,leaf 11 can have additional codes, e.g. at edge 11F to be read byidentity reader 23 when leaf 11 is flipped over sideways and insertedwith edge 11F adjacent to reader 23. Moreover, in one embodiment, base32 includes batteries (not shown) of the “stick-on peel-off” type asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/692,994 incorporated byreference above.

[0226] Furthermore, although in one embodiment printed publication 11 isa periodical, in another embodiment, printed publication if; achildren's picture book. Moreover, although in the above-describedembodiment, there is a reserved area AR on each leaf, in an alternativeembodiment marks 114A-114M are interspersed among various touchsensitive areas with no touch sensitive area overlapping any of marks114A-114M, and none of marks 114A-114M overlapping each other. In thealternative embodiment if touch sensitive areas overlap, identity of atouched area is resolved from the identity of the leaves currently inuse as described above.

[0227] Moreover, although not described above, a remote control base 32(FIG. J.) can have (in addition to the above-described button(s) 12)buttons labeled with printed content on the button's surface, e.g.buttons labeled “1”, “2”, . . . “0”, “SKIP”, “REPEAT”, “INFO”, “←”, “→”as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/550,976 incorporatedby reference above (see FIG. 6H and the related description).

[0228] Furthermore, although certain fasteners are described above (e.g.rails 104 and 112, clip 502, sleeve 521, and channel:3 531-532), otherfasteners can also be used. Hence, ill another embodiment, the base hasthe form of a normal three ring binder (not shown), and the attachedprinted publication has three holes adjacent to the spine. In yetanother embodiment, the base has the form of a manila file folder (notshown) having a clip at the top edge of the inner side of the back coverof the folder.

[0229] Furthermore, although LED 105 (FIG. 2A) has been described aboveas an infrared LED, in another embodiment, LED is a diffused laser diodeas described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/908,833 that is acontinuation of Ser. No. 08/298,648 both referenced above.

[0230] Moreover, although in one embodiment substrates 601 and 602 areformed of MYLAR, substrates 601 and 602 can be formed of other materialssuch as paper or LDPE plastic in other embodiments. Furthermore,although in some embodiments a leaf 11 (FIG. 2B) lies over one or morebutton(s) in base 32, in another embodiment, a base (not shown) has twotouch sensitive strips, e.g. one on channel 35 and another on channel 38(FIG. 2A). In such an embodiment, the user operates the remote controlby touching each of the strips once thereby to indicate the twoCartesian coordinates to determine the position of content on leaf 11.

[0231] Note that although remote control circuit 700, and a host device120 have been described briefly above in one embodiment of theinvention, such a remote control circuit and a host device are describedrelated applications incorporated by reference above, for example theU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,616 filed on Mar. 12, 1997.

[0232] Various modifications and adaptations of the above-describedembodiments are covered by the attached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A remote control comprising: a file folderincluding a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between saidfront cover and said back cover, said file folder further including afastener mounted on said spine; a printed publication detachably mountedon said fastener, said printed publication including a storage mediaphysically attached to said printed publication; a remote controlcircuit supported by said file folder; and a button supported on saidback cover and coupled to said remote control circuit; wherein saidremote control circuit generates a remote control signal in response toapplication of pressure to said button.
 2. The remote control of claim1, wherein information in the form of electronic content is encoded onsaid storage media.
 3. The remote control of claim 2, wherein theelectronic content is related to content printed on said leaf.
 4. Aremote control base comprising: a file folder including a front cover, aback cover and a spine located between said front cover and said backcover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on saidspine, said fastener being capable of detachably holding a printedpublication; a remote control circuit supported by said file folder,said remote control circuit including a memory programmed with apredetermined number; and a button supported on said back cover andcoupled to said remote control circuit; wherein said remote controlcircuit generates a remote control signal in response to application ofpressure to said button.
 5. The remote control base of claim 4 whereininformation in the form of electronic content encoded on a storage mediais accessible over the Internet by use of said predetermined number. 6.A remote control base comprising: a file folder including a front cover,a back cover and a spine located between said front cover and said backcover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on saidspine; said fastener being capable of detachably holding a printedpublication; a remote control circuit supported by said file folder; anelectromagnetic signal transmitter electrically coupled to said remotecontrol circuit; and a button supported on said back cover and coupledto said remote control circuit; wherein said remote control circuitgenerates a remote control signal in response to application of pressureto said button, and further wherein said electromagnetic signaltransmitter generates an electromagnetic signal carrying data inresponse to said remote control signal.
 7. A remote control comprising:a file folder including a front cover, a back cover and a spine locatedbetween said front cover and said back cover, said file folder furtherincluding a fastener mounted on said spine; said fastener being capableof detachably holding a printed publication; a remote control circuitsupported by said file folder; a button supported on said back cover andcoupled to said remote control circuit; and a leaf detachably attachedto said fastener such that said leaf is laid over said button, said leafbeing sufficiently flexible for pressure on said leaf to transferthrough said leaf to operate said button; wherein said remote controlcircuit generates a remote control signal in response to operation ofsaid button.
 8. A remote control base comprising: a file folderincluding a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between saidfront cover and said back cover, said file folder further including afastener mounted on said spine, said fastener being capable ofdetachably holding a printed publication, and wherein said fastenercomprises a rail having a cross-section in the shape of the letter “C”with a longitudinal cavity formed behind two longitudinal edges thatface each other; a remote control circuit supported by said file folder;and a button supported on said back cover and coupled to said remotecontrol circuit; wherein said remote control circuit generates a remotecontrol signal in response to application of pressure to said button. 9.An insert for use with a remote control base, said insert comprising aprinted publication and devoid of one or more electronic componentspermanently attached to said printed publication, said printedpublication having a group of leaves connected each to the other at aspine, each of said leaves having a plurality of holes adjacent to saidspine, each leaf in said group having printed content and a mark, eachmark being positioned differently from the position of another mark,each mark being substantially identical to another mark.
 10. The insertof claim 9 further comprising: a storage media holder for holding astorage media encoded with information in the form of electroniccontent, said information being related to at least a portion of saidprinted content.
 11. The insert of claim 9, wherein said mark identifiesthe leaf in a signal generated by said remote control base when saidinsert is mounted on said base and said mark is touched.